Of all the verses in Psalm 139, these are the hardest. What about loving your enemies? How can this be?

The closest answer I can come up with is this. Loving your enemies assumes having enemies. Who are my enemies? Those who hate the LORD, who are His enemies. All humanity is either on the side of the LORD God and His Son, Jesus Christ, or in rebellion and an enemy. Whose side am I on? Whose side are you on?

Right now is the Day of Salvation; that is, the time God is offering a way to escape the coming destruction. He is showing patience and love, and has called His people to do the same. We are reminded that vengeance is His job, not ours.

Some day, though, time will run out. Jesus Christ will come as conqueror, bringing judgement and destruction to His enemies. There will be a clear divide between good and evil, and good will win.

Until then, God’s people have the double call to hate wrong and to show God’s love, including to the wrong doers. There is still time to have the wrong all us sinful people are afflicted with forgiven and removed.

Because in the end, the important question is, whose side are you on?